This is a blog about saying YES to life. Through the eyes of my Australian Shepherd mix, Star, I learn to say YES to our new adventure: living in Cuenca, Ecuador.

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Sunday, October 16, 2011

Another Fantastic Trip Away From Cuenca by Star

Cuenca is a beautiful city, yet when we go on our day trips we really experience the magnificence of this country. Three weeks ago Efrain, from MIO Tours, took us to a farm close to the small city of Uña, on the way to Loja. I had the feeling it was going to be a great day, so I was ready to go early and patiently waited for our ride.

When they picked us up I quickly joined Java in the back of the car and, as always, we chilled. I was especially happy. Mom had told me we were going to a farm and even when I had no idea what she meant, I somehow knew I was up for a treat. As you can see, Java was also pretty happy. He also must have known we were going to have lots of fun.

My mom and dad loved the ride, and mom wanted to take pictures of everything while Java and I just wanted to get to our destination so we could run and play.

We climbed and climbed and then went down and down; the vegetation and terrain changing from lush to arid within a few miles. Honestly, I could care less, I just wanted to get to this thing called the farm.

On the very top of the climb we had to stop so we could all do our business. Here my dad and Efrain found some St. Bernard puppies for sale. Mom fell in love, of course; so what's new, right? But, even I liked those fellows; thankfully though, they stayed behind. I know what a St. Bernard grows up to be like!

After about 2 hours we arrived at the farm. Java and I were so excited we couldn't wait to get out. The farm belongs to an American and it's run by a very nice couple from Colombia. They have animals, fish and crops and lots of land for us dogs to run around and explore. The house is really nice too and they have a couple of rooms for overnight stays.

The trout farm was a lot of fun. The fish jump all kinds of ways when they are fed. Of course, my friend Java had to go swimming in one of the ponds while I just went to the edge to check things out; after all, I'm not a water dog.

One of the things I loved the most about this trip was that I got to see live Cuys or guinea pigs. I had only seen the dead ones that are cooked by the roadsides. I wanted to go smell these things but mom didn't let me. I wonder why; I wouldn't dare eat one, perhaps just chase them for a while.

There was a cute dog that had some puppies and even though she wasn't too happy to have me around, she let mom get really close to take a shot. She had nested inside a tree trunk. These Ecuadorian dogs are pretty clever. The puppies were protected and their mom kept a watchful eye on everyone approaching.

Then came my favorite part... for the first time in my life I saw some sheep. Boy did I want to herd them! The funny thing is that I think they wanted me to herd them too. They all lined up watching me while I trembled with excitement. But herding was not going to happen... there was no way they would let me in that pen so I just watch them from a distance.

So after hours of running around and exploring the farm I decided to go down to the river and smell the flowers. They were really pretty but I had to be careful walking because there were lots of cacti.

And finally it was time to go back home. I was happy and tired when we got in the car, but I'm always on the lookout for things to see. I don't like to miss out on anything... and this time I was specially glad because I would have missed the wild horses.

For over a mile, wild horses seemed to be everywhere on both sides of the road. They were gorgeous and to me quite the novelty, so I had to bark at them. I thought I was going to scare them away and watch them run, but some just looked back at us while the others turned around and slowly walked away.

So there you have it, another wonderful day planned for us by Efrain who is more than our tour guide; he has become our friend.